Just join the EEA already, you’d get all the free trade advantages but could keep 100% of your own internal politics. How THAT is not palatable to UK politicians is beyond me.
But yes I think the EEA would be too politically risky at the moment. The EU Customs Union might be more realistic (Turkey is part of this) but I think the current UK government don’t even want to do that. They don’t want to lose the votes of people who wanted Brexit.
I meant the politicians, who do typically sit at the capital. Of course there might be a xenophobic sentiment in the population, but the political elites can somewhat steer the popular sentiment. The current political meta (not only in the UK, but unfortunately pretty much worldwide) is to reinforce xenophobic tendencies in order to have an easy scapegoat in “them evil foreigners™” for things going wrong due to the political establishment and their benefactors in “the economy™” benefiting from things going wrong for ordinary people.
I don’t think xenophobia is motivating Labour to stay clear of the EU at the moment… I think it’s just political reality, unfortunately. There are quite a few working class people who traditionally vote for Labour, but they also backed Brexit, and Labour doesn’t want to lose those voters to the Conservatives or Reform.
It’s a positive feedback loop. Some voters are xenophobes, party caters to the xenophobes by perpetuating xenophobe fairy tales, more voters become xenophobes from hearing those fairy tales.
Do you think Labour are catering to xenophobes? I don’t think they’re saying much that is xenophobic. I think it’s just that they know many people voted for Brexit and Labour doesn’t want to upset those voters.
True to an extent. Also though I guess there are people who felt like Brussels told Britain what to do. I don’t agree with that, because Britain was part of the decision making process, in the EU parliament. But I guess in a democracy the majority view wins out, even if you don’t agree with that view. If we ignore democratic views then voters get very angry and more extreme.
However I’m definitely not someone who thinks democracy ended in 2016 regarding the Brexit question. Democracy obviously continues, so I think it would be completely legitimate if the UK had another EU membership referendum at some point.
Just join the EEA already, you’d get all the free trade advantages but could keep 100% of your own internal politics. How THAT is not palatable to UK politicians is beyond me.
Because freedom of trade with the EU always comes as a package deal with freedom of movement, which the xenophobes in London find unacceptable.
Well, let the UK crash then
The xenophobes are mostly outside of London. In London, 60% of voters wanted to remain in the EU. But in the UK overall, 52% of voters wanted to leave the EU.
But yes I think the EEA would be too politically risky at the moment. The EU Customs Union might be more realistic (Turkey is part of this) but I think the current UK government don’t even want to do that. They don’t want to lose the votes of people who wanted Brexit.
I meant the politicians, who do typically sit at the capital. Of course there might be a xenophobic sentiment in the population, but the political elites can somewhat steer the popular sentiment. The current political meta (not only in the UK, but unfortunately pretty much worldwide) is to reinforce xenophobic tendencies in order to have an easy scapegoat in “them evil foreigners™” for things going wrong due to the political establishment and their benefactors in “the economy™” benefiting from things going wrong for ordinary people.
I don’t think xenophobia is motivating Labour to stay clear of the EU at the moment… I think it’s just political reality, unfortunately. There are quite a few working class people who traditionally vote for Labour, but they also backed Brexit, and Labour doesn’t want to lose those voters to the Conservatives or Reform.
Maybe I’m wrong but that’s my perception.
It’s a positive feedback loop. Some voters are xenophobes, party caters to the xenophobes by perpetuating xenophobe fairy tales, more voters become xenophobes from hearing those fairy tales.
Do you think Labour are catering to xenophobes? I don’t think they’re saying much that is xenophobic. I think it’s just that they know many people voted for Brexit and Labour doesn’t want to upset those voters.
Brexit was largely fuelled by xenophobic fairy tales. Blaming the EU and immigration for pretty much everything that went badly.
True to an extent. Also though I guess there are people who felt like Brussels told Britain what to do. I don’t agree with that, because Britain was part of the decision making process, in the EU parliament. But I guess in a democracy the majority view wins out, even if you don’t agree with that view. If we ignore democratic views then voters get very angry and more extreme.
However I’m definitely not someone who thinks democracy ended in 2016 regarding the Brexit question. Democracy obviously continues, so I think it would be completely legitimate if the UK had another EU membership referendum at some point.